Torpedo



J. S. CURRIER.

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guion/w13 lJ. s. cunmEn.

TORPEDO. APPLICATION FlLEAD AUG. l0, |920. v

Patented 00u 18,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JAMES s. CUEEIER, or NEWroE'r, RHODE ISLAND, AssIenoE 'ro vTHEeoVERNE.:Eurk

' or THE UNITED STATES.

roErEno.

Application mea August io,-iezo. 'semiNofmaesef w l; Y

i To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES S. Comuna, a citizen of the United States,Aresiding at Newport, Rhode Island, have invented new and usefulimprovements in Torpedoes, of rwhich the following is a specification. yThis invention relates to'improvements in torpedoes and moreyparticularly to improvements in the motive means vand drivingtransmission whereby the torpedo ispro.

pelled through the water. t One of the obl'ects ofthe present inven-VVtion is toimprove and simplify the driving means of a 'torpedo wherebythe same y may be easily assembled and constructedf A further object isto provide an improved transmission mechanism having relatively fewerparts which may be more ineX- pensively manufactured. Y

A further object is to provide a drive mechanism for torpedoes whichwill be more yreliable and efficient in use and operay tion and in whichfriction between relatively Amoving parts is eliminated as much aspossible.

A. further object is to provide .a drive mechanism for torpedoes adaptedto elimi-V natethe excessive use of oil and the heretofore objectionV toa smokyexhaust from the Y en ine.

ther objects `will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointedout'. A

1n the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of various possibleembodi# ments of the present invention, I

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of such parts of themechanism as is necessary to understand vthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan view taken on substantially the line 2/2,Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially ontheV line 3/3, Fig. 1. l

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates a portion of theengine supporting frame with which is associated .an oil tight casing 6having a vertically and cento those familiar with the` art. This shaft`7 is provided with suitable bearings -10 and 11 at its central and lowerparts respecf` tively whereby the turbines will be rotated`Specificationof Letters Eatent. i Patented 1S,

with aV minin'iurnA amountbfffriction. Be-

tween thesefbearings is a worm [gear 12 adapted to mesh'with two pinions13 and'14 respectively as shown more clearly 'inFigs 2 and 3. `Thesepinions andv worin are all housed within the casing 6 which is pref'erably filled with oil in order that the parts be thoroughly and welllubricated. l,The gears or pinions 13 and 14 aremounted upon relativelyshort shafts 15 and'16 respectively the ends 0f which shafts laremounted 'in bearings 18 Vas shown, Vthe ybeariifigs being f of suchconstruction as to takeup lateral aswell as longitudinal -movements Theshaft 15 is provided with a gear orpinio-n 2O meshing with a largergear21 carried by a shaft 22 while the shaft 16 is provided with a similargear 23 meshing withgear- 24 keyed to sleeve 25 surrounding the shaft"22. Thisshaft and sleeve' extend rearwardly through the after-body of,VVthe torpedo l. and

'loV

each carries a propeller for driving the torpedo, thesepropellersbeingcentrally disposed and rotating in` opposite directionsi' thereby to` prevent' any deiiection in the coursev of thetorpedo asmightbeV produced4 if they rotate in the samedirection.

It will be noted byreference to Figsl ,1"

and 2'that the shaft 22 is mounted in thrust bearings 26 while thesleeve '25 fis mounted]v two turbines iseliminated. This construction ofconcentric sleeve'and shaft `for the tion not only involved Ia reductionin ef-f-V Y' iiciency by reason of loss due to-riction but -the rapidlyVrelativeand oppositely rotating parts cause the oil to creep upwardly tothe turbines and be thrown Outlaterallyl where it came in contact withthehot gases impinging upon the blades of the turbine. The,

oil Awas then burned or vaporized and passed out in the form of smokewith the yexhaust gases vmaking'al visible wake'to'the pathr Y ofthe'tor-pedo'. By vhaving a Single-Shaft. p Y* .gasketsgpacking rings,etc., a leakage fromrunning. in ,oil and suitably packed by the casing6is prevented. y Y Y Y It is believed to begurmecessary togo into allthe details of assembling which will loe'k f clear to those skilledinthepart from the anneXed sheets of drawing. The operation will also,it is believed, `be obvious and it is suflicient to state that themotive fluid impinging upon the blades of the turbine 8 will rotate theshaft 7 and through the worm 12 drive the shafts 15 and 16 which in turntransmit their power-through the interposed gearing to the concentricshaft and sleeve 22 and 25. The construction is simple, practical,reliable and eiiicient, may be easily manufac# tured and assembled andiscparticularly designed to accomplish, among others, all of the objectsand advantages herein set forth.

Without further analysis, ythe foregoing will so fully reveal the gisto-f this invention that others canby applying current knowledge readilyadapt it` for various applica-l tions without omitting certain featuresthat, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention,andV therefore such adaptations should be and are intended tobecomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of thefollowin claims.

What claim is 1 In a torpedo, in combination, a shaft, a pair of turbinewheels mounted upon said shaft, a worm associated with said shaft,pinions meshing with said worm and a propeller supporting means drivenby said pinlons.

2. In a torpedo, in combinatioma shaft,VK

a pair of turbines mounted upon said shaft, a pair of concentricallydisposed propeller supporting means and gearin between said means andsaid shaft where y said means are driven in opposite directions, saidintervening ymeans comprising worm and pinion connections.

3. In a torpedo, in combination, ashaft,

means for rotating said shaft, a worm carried by said shaft, pinionsmeshing with said worm and propellercarrying means adapted to be rotatedby said pinions, said propeller carrying means comprising a shaft andsleeve adapted to rotate lnopposite dlrections and gearing connectedktherewith driven from said pinions.

right angles thereto and power transmitting means between said firstshaft andthe second shafts and a casing inclosing said powertransmitting means.

6. In a torpedo, in combination, a shaft,

means for driving said shaft, a worm on said shaft, a pair of shaftsadjacent said first mentioned shaft and having their axes at rightangles thereto and power transmitting means between said first shaft andthe second shaftss bearings.

7. In a torpedo, in ycombina-tion, a shaft, means for drivingfsaidshaft, a worm on said shaft, a pair vof shafts adjacent said firstmentioned shaft andhaving their axes at right angles thereto and powertransmitting means between said. first shaft and the second shafts.,said shaft being` supported in roller bearings andacasing inclosing thepower transmitting means.

8. In a torpedo, in combination, a supporting frame, aL shaft mountedtherein, means whereby said shaft maybe rotated, a worm on said shaft,pinions meshing with said worm and a casin inclosing said worm andpinions whereby t ey may run in an oil bath, shaftssupporting saidpinions,-pro peller supporting means, including, a shaft and concentricszleeve andgearing between aid shaft being supported in roller saidsecond mentioned shafts and said propeller supporting means. Y

y Signed atV Newport, Rhode Island, this 13 dayof March, 1920.

JAMEs s. Gunmen.V

